The Tree of Life
by Sushy555
Summary: Ari (OC) and Ash will try to defeat a criminal organization that want to control pokemon. Enjoy! Disclaimer: Don’t own Pokemon or any of the elements from the game.
1. Chapter 1 - Remembering

**Hello guys! I started writing this story a long time ago so already have a few chapters done. Will post two now and wait for your reviews before putting up the rest. Hope you like it!**

Chapter 1 - Remembering Part 1

Ari took a deep breath and exhaled into her hands to try and keep her hands warm. The cold of Snowbelle City was something she wasn't used to and she regretted not having packed warmer clothes. If she hadn't left in such a rush after reading the note Professor Sycamore handed her…

 _When Ari was 4 years old, a babbling but well-humored baby, something that would change her life forever happened. She was at home with her father one cold night in her hometown, Kiloude City. They were playing and waiting for Ari's mother to arrive. Instead, a knock on the door brought with it some horrible news._

 _Knock Knock._

 _Ari's father, Thomas, got up to open the door. He had short black spiky hair and wore glasses that were far too big for his face, but he said he liked them and made him look more intelligent. He was American from his mother side and Japanese from his father side. He fell in love with Ari's mother, Sakura, when he came to visit Kalos once and he never returned to the states. Together they created a loving home and had Ari. Ari had long black hair just like her mother, and bright green eyes like her father, which made her an unusual type of beauty for the people of Kalos._

 _Sakura was a Pokémon trainer, so she always had by her side her most faithful companion, Persian. The lioness- like cat was an excellent protector of the household, having battled many years next to Sakura and gained a lot of experience. She was also Ari's best play-mate and babysitter, always looking out for her when she played around dangerous table corners which she seemed to be so attracted to. Even when Ari was in tears, Persian would cuddle her up and purr and the vibrations of her chest would calm Ari down in seconds._

 _That night, she was alone with her father and playing with some pokécubes making crazy shapes. She was halfway building a bulbasaur with the body of a dewgong and the tail of a girafarig and laughing about it when she saw her father get up and go see who was at the door._

 _Cold air came inside the house and some snow got in as Thomas opened the door to let Officer Jenny come inside and closed the door quickly once she was in._

 _"Good evening Thomas, Ari. I'm so sorry to disturb you at this hour but it's extremely urgent what I have to tell you."_

 _She had a concerned look on her face, and she kept making small looks at Ari and then at Thomas, making him understand that Ari shouldn't be present for this conversation. Thomas turned around with a scared look and picked up Ari, taking her to her room and patting her on the head as he layher on the bed._

 _"Can you stay here for a couple of minutes sweet heart? Daddy will talk to Officer Jenny and I'll come back right away. I promise."_

 _"Dada, where mommy?" Ari babbled in her baby voice, although being already aware that something wasn't quite right._

 _He kissed her head and left the room without a word, not closing the door entirely. This was enough for mischievous Ari to get out of bed and walk clumsily until the door. She was curious as to why this lady was here instead of her mom. She leaned against the door and tried to listen in to the conversation, but they were talking very low so she had to make a big effort to listen to everything._

 _"I came as soon as the station called. They don't know what happened to her, just that she disappeared from the spot she was keeping watch on. No witnesses as usual, no traces or clues as to what or who could have done this."_

 _Officer Jenny looked equally scared giving the news even though she was trying not to let it show. Ari was always a sensitive baby and could always understand emotions very well around her, so her heartbeat was accelerating almost as much as Officer Jenny's should be right now._

 _"I told her it wasn't a good idea for her to go!" Thomas started pacing in front of Officer Jenny. "I knew it was dangerous, I told her to put those days behind her! What am I going to tell Ari now? How are we going to find her??"_

 _"We are doing everything we can… we have Arcanine patrols controlling the areas and we have eyes on the air too with the Pidgeot patrol. This weather isn't making things easy for them that's for sure… But we will find her Thomas I promise you… Besides, she has Persian with her. I'm sure she will do everything to protect her."_

 _"You don't think it could be…" Thomas lowered his voice so much Ari couldn't hear. Officer Jenny replied with a shrug and put her hand on her mouth to cover a hiccup as she tried to hold her tears in._

 _"I hope not… After going after them for so many years I don't want to think what they would do to her if they caught her… But we have to stay positive. For Ari and for Sakura. I promise to come back as soon as we get a breakthrough. Good night Thomas… And I'm sorry…"_

 _Thomas thanked her and she went out into the snow and cold weather, the door closing with a small click. Ari saw her father stood staring at the door taking the news in. As if it was all a dream and if he opened the door Sakura would be there in front of him. He slowly turned around after a while and Ari ran to her bed and hid herself under the covers._

 _He walked inside the room and sat on the end of the bed. His voice was trembling when he spoke._

 _"Ari… Mama isn't coming tonight… She had a problem at work and she will be away for some days. You understandwhat Daddy is saying?"_

 _Ari resurfaced from the covers, feeling the tears coming to her eyes as she felt the pain her father was feeling at this moment too, and she flew into his arms. They held each other in a tight hug and Thomas knew that his daughter understood what was happening and he was thankful that she was intuitive so that he wouldn't have to say the words out loud that hurt him so._

 _Ari's mother never returned. They never found her. As Ari grew up, she swore that when she came of age, she would find out the truth about what happened to her mother. When she turned 14 and got her first pokémon, she would go out and do everything she could to find her mother and bring her back home._

 _While growing up, the subject kind of became taboo between Ari and Thomas. She never dared to ask him because every time she could feel the pain and sadness he was feeling whenever he remembered her. Officer Jenny would still come around occasionally but unfortunately never with any news, but she wanted to check up on how they were doing as she had always been a close friend to their family._

 _Ari never got many answers from Officer Jenny, and it seemed everyone wanted to keep her safe and the less she knew the better. What they should know by now is that Ari had inherited her mother's stubbornness and curiosity, so she wouldn't give up._

 _The day she got her partner, was the day Ari got more answers than she ever hoped to find._


	2. Chapter 1 - Remembering Part 2

**Chapter 1 - Remembering part 2**

Ari went inside the closest café she could find, sat at the counter and ordered a hot pokécocoa for her and one for her partner. As they both sipped the hot beverage and allowed it to bring warmth to their bodies, she couldn't help but smile at her partner who had the mouth full of chocolate and was licking it but only spreading it around more. She laughed and remembered meeting her partner just two days earlier.

 _On the morning of her 14th birthday, Ari was in hurricane mode. She had prepared for this day all her life, and yet everything seemed to be falling a bit apart. She had prepared her backpack the night before and everything she might need, she put 7 alarms (SEVEN! Spread throughout the room so she would have to force herself to get up and turn off every one of them.) She was a heavy sleeper indeed but having not slept from excitement the night before, she woke up with the first alarm and while she was getting ready she had to eventually walk around and look for the next alarm ringing under some pile of clothes, so that didn't help for her morning stress._

 _She went to the kitchen where the smell of bacon and eggs was filling the room, and her father was flipping pancakes with the proficiency of a MasterChef. Her father had always loved to cook and he was excellent at it, Ari was always fascinated how she didn't become obese with all the amazing food her father did._

 _"Good morning sleepy head!" He cheered. "I could hear the twenty thousand alarms, glad you turned them off or you'd wake up all Kalos!"_

 _"It's not a joking matter Dad; I can't be late today of all days. How do you want me to eat all of this food? You want me to roll there?"_

 _"Hey, a good breakfast is the most important thing for a starting pokémon trainer. Your mother knew that and she always had a hearty breakfast before every trip…"_

 _His voice faded out once he realized what he was saying. He slumped himself a bit and put the pancakes on a plate and went to sit next to Ari on the counter next to two plates full of eggs bacon and two big glasses of fruit juice._

 _"Dad… You don't have to feel bad talking about her. I like hearing stories of how Mom was before… I wish she could have prepared me more for my journey but I will learn things as I go along. And I will find out what happened to her."_

 _"Don't forget your promise to me. You promised you wouldn't go looking for trouble and that you'd wait until you had at least 5 badges before actually going after whoever did this to her. I wish I could be of more help but unfortunately I am really bad at anything related to pokémon battling. Your mother tried to teach me a lot but I just don't have the gift. I'm not good at choosing the best types or advantages, I really suck at that. I wish I could come with you but I know this is also something you have to do by yourself, just like your mother…"_

 _Thomas had never said so much about Sakura in so many years. Ari was happy her father was being able to open up. They had had a lot of fights about this in the past of course, at first he was entirely against the idea of her going out on her own and look for Sakura. It took a lot of convincing for him to understand that no matter what he said Ari wasn't going to change her mind. Eventually he agreed but made her promise she would gain enough experience before going into dangerous situations._

 _Ari finished her meal quickly and after hugging and kissing her father, promising to come back as soon as she had her new companion she grabbed her backpack and left running._

 _It was a warm summer day, and she was glad that she got up early so there weren't many people outside. Every time she crossed someone she could feel sometimes people giving her a look of pity for her mother and she was honestly tired of people doing that to her._

 _She maintained a quick pace as she walked through the streets of Kiloude, passing the Safari habitat reservation where she sometimes played with pokémon growing up. She had a couple of friends, wild oddish and paras, rattata and pidgeys that she fed from time to time. She never wandered into the deeper part of the reservation though, as she knew stronger pokémon lived there and could feel menaced by her and attack, and she didn't have her partner yet._

 _She walked past the stores that were still closed, and watched the windows in people's houses starting to open up to let the light in, the smell of freshly baked bread and other goods from the restaurants and cafés. She was wearing her favorite black short shorts, red top with some floral designs on the sleeves that came no more than half her shoulder, the necklace her mother had given her when she was born (with a symbol of the Tree of Life) and her red and black sneakers that were super comfortable for running and long walks. She always had a tomboy ish style. Her long black hair was tied up on a neat ponytail that was hanging tall giving the impression of a tail on her head._

 _She was to meet Professor Sycamore near Battle Maison, but she quickly spotted him on a café next to it sipping his coffee and holding a small box._

 _"Good morning Professor! I hope I'm not late!"_

 _"My dear! Not at all, I came early because I wanted to eat some of the delicious croissants but I came too early I'm afraid hohohoho! They still haven't finished making them. Sit, sit child!"_

 _Professor Sycamore was always in a good mood, and Ari saw him some times after her mother disappeared but unlike other people he never was one to show a lot of sadness to the whole thing. Not that he didn't care about Sakura, but Ari always had the impression he knew more than he was letting on. She could feel calmness exuberating from him every time so she was quite relaxed with him._

 _"Order something if you want, before we get started."_

 _"No thanks I'm full, as you know my father made me eat for five people before leaving the house."_

 _"Ohohohohoho yes, old Thomas will never change. He could feed a battalion without meaning to! Well, it is important you are well fed because you are about to start a very important journey. And I think the emotions you'll go through now after I give you this package would be a lot on an empty stomach."_

 _He placed a medium squared wooden box on the table. It had some curious designs that Ari had never seen and a small lock that had the shape of her necklace, the Tree of Life. Her eyes widened as she realized that no one other than her mother could have made that box for her._

 _"Is that…" before she could finish the sentence Professor Sycamore raised a hand._

 _"It's better if you listen carefully and let me explain." He took a last sip from his coffee cup and put it aside, bringing the box to the middle of the table between them. «Inside this box is a pokéball with your partner and a letter from your mother. You see a week before her disappearance; she knew she was headed towards a hard mission. Your mother was quite the trainer in her young days, and after marrying your father she was approached by an organization that required her help on a very important matter. There is a criminal organization looking to take over the world by acquiring sacred stones that help them control pokémon. One stone for each type of pokémon. The stones are guarded by a guardian and are spread all over the regions: Kalos, Unova, Johto, Kanto, Alola… Their resting place is unknown to many, but not impossible to find. The guardian is of the corresponding type of stone. The criminals had already acquired 3 of the stones when the organization got hold of their plans. They contacted the best trainers of each region to make them aware and to try and find the stones before the criminals and protect them."_

 _Ari was breathing faster but she kept a concentrated look as she let all the information sink in. Professor Sycamore was dropping so much information but she had waited for this day forever, so she was focused on learning as much as she could. He took a pause to see if she had any questions but seeing as she was listening he continued._

 _"The stones the criminals had got were the Fire stone, the Steel stone and the Poison stone. They can control pokémon of those types against their will and are committing crimes such as stealing money from banks in order to build up their technology and secret bases. They are also stealing Pokémon from trainers and using them for their armies. The police tried to stop a few of those attacks but having their arcanines disabled quickly and turned against them proved they were no match for the criminals. Your mother went on a few missions and managed to stop a few of those criminals, making her now a potential danger for them. When she found out she was pregnant with you, she put aside that life and promised your father she wouldn't put herself or you in any danger. Unfortunately she got called on an urgent matter against a criminal that she knew very well, so her experienced was needed. She left and that was when she disappeared, so most probably it's the organization that has her. I don't think they would harm her but instead try and make her tell everything the organization knows against them in order to gain the advantage. Knowing Sakura is one tough cookie, I wouldn't be surprised if she had escaped and is just in hiding all these years. She couldn't risk coming home and putting you and your father in danger as you must understand. Before she left for that mission, she planned everything for your future with me. She knew the perfect pokémonfor you and I promised her I'd find it and hand it to you as well as her letter. She couldn't include all of what I've just told you in the letter, so it's best you have this information beforehand."_

 _In hiding… That would make sense. Ari always felt her mother was still alive, and she knew she wouldn't let herself go down without a good fight. And she would never risk putting herself or her father in danger, so she was just being precautious. Her adrenaline started to kick in knowing that maybe one day she could find her mother and defeat the criminal organization and bring her mother safe back home._

 _Professor Sycamore slid the box closer to Ari._

 _"As you must have understood by now, the box can only be opened with your necklace. I'd advise you to take it home and open it there, along with your father. I think he'll want to know your mother might still be ok even if I know deep down he must have suspected that all these years."_

 _More people were starting to come out on the street, and these weren't matters to be discussed in front of a crowd, so she nodded and placed the box inside her backpack._

 _"Thank you so much for everything Professor… I will find out who did this and I will help taking them down."_

 _"Don't be fooled Ari. These people are very dangerous and you'll understand why you need to create a strong bond with your pokémon before you decide to take matters on to your own hands. Read the letter, and always remember to be cautious. You can call me at the Pokémon Lab whenever you need and I'll help with whatever I can. I know you'll be an amazing trainer but you can't let yourself be carried away by your emotions."_

 _"I promise I'll be careful, don't worry Professor." She got up and gave him a hug which surprised him but he laughed as he patted her back._

 _She took her cue to leave as a waitress arrived with a plate full of hot crispy croissants and the Professor started dropping saliva from the corner of his mouth. As he began to dig in, she turned around and almost ran back to her house._

 _When she arrived, she was panting. She closed the door and saw her father sitting on the couch in the living room reading the newspaper._

 _"That was fast! So what did you get?"_

 _She sat down next to him on the couch and explained everything the Professor had told her. Her father nodded through all the explanation and when she finished he sighed and took out his glasses to clean the tears from his eyes._

 _"I knew it was them… those bastards… Sorry!" He covered his mouth and Ari giggled. "But I always knew she was hiding and too afraid to have any contact, because they would come after us for sure… I hope they pay one day for all they're doing…"_

 _"They will pay Dad. I will make them pay. For us. For mom. And for the whole world!" She put her hand into fists and gave a fierce look to which her father couldn't help but laugh._

 _"You look more and more like your mother every day. Now let's see what pokémon it is!"_

 _Ari placed the box carefully on her knees and took out her necklace. She inserted the symbol of the Tree of Life onto the lock and with a twist it clicked open. Inside was a velvet red cushion with a small pokéball placed on top of it. An envelope with her name in hand writing was placed carefully on the inside top part of the box._

 _"That's your mother's handwriting. I'd recognize it anywhere… "_

 _Ari took the letter and handed it to her father._

 _"No no, it's you that has to read it." He pushed the letter back to her and she opened the envelope with her hands trembling._

 _ **Happy birthday my sweet daughter. I wish I could be there with you to celebrate this day, but as Professor must have told you the situation is very complicated. I might not be around to see you grow up, but I will see you again someday. My greatest gift I could ever give you is this pokémon. I'm sure you will become best partners as I am with Persian. She misses you a lot too. We both do. Tell your father I love him very much and I apologise to both of you for not being there. One day our family will be together again…**_

 _ **Ari, you need to become one with your pokémon in order to help me and find me. You are already at a disadvantage, but you can overcome that because you are my daughter and you are special. Never lose the necklace I gave you, and never forget who you are.**_

 _ **Love, Sakura**_

 _Ari couldn't help it. Tears were running down her face like a waterfall and she sobbed as she handed the letter to her father. He took it this time, and after reading it started crying too and hugged her._

 _Ari wiped her eyes and grabbed her pokéball._

 _"Here it comes… we can't let the poor thing see us crying and sobbing for the first time, we'll scare it!"_

 _"You're right!" Her father cleaned his eyes, blew his nose into a tissue and re arranged his glasses. "Ok… I'm ready!"_

 _Clicking the button on the pokéball, it became bigger and a flash of light came out as it opened. The light turned into a human like shape and the tiny pokémon appeared before them on top of the coffee table._

 _"Ri…olu?"_


	3. Chapter 2 - Rory

Chapter 2 – Rory

After finishing the hot pokécocoa and paying, Ari and her partner prepared to face once again the cold and snowy weather. They put on their scarves and coats, and ran quickly to the nearest Pokémon Center to try and get a place to sleep for the night.

Ari knew this was just the beginning of her journey, the first step in looking for answers. Professor Sycamore had told her to go there and talk to the gym leader Wulfric, who had been one to fight the criminal organization and could give her more information. She had travelled from Kiloude to Snowbelle with her partner, who she decided to name Rory.

The day after receiving Rory she went back to Professor Sycamore to receive her pokédex and a few pokéballs to start off her journey. She was so excited that she packed the bare minimum and used Professor Sycamore's Alakazam from the lab to be teleported to Snowbelle city.

Unfortunately, Alakazam was already getting old so instead of teleporting her and Rory directly to the Pokémon center they ended up a bit on the outskirts of the city and had to walk the rest by foot which took them a whole day seeing as the conditions were very harsh.

Once inside the pokemon center they talked to Nurse Joy who happily showed them a common room where they could sleep, Ari took out her pokédex and pointed it at Rory. A mechanical voice gave her information about her friend.

Riolu, the Emanation Pokémon. When sad or scared, Riolu'saura becomes stronger as a way of signaling its allies. It has the power to see and understand emotions like happiness and anger in aura waves.

Ari thought back to when they were walking up to Snowbelle City. During the snowstorm, she had felt as if there was some interference in her brain, and she thought that probably that was Rory's way of saying she was afraid of the weather, as she kept asking to be carried and tried to hide inside Ari's coat. Maybe once their connection was better developed, Ari could understand exactly what Rory felt!

She looked at Rory, who had been looking curiously at the pokédex and smiled.

"I guess you were trying to let me know how you felt. I'm sorry I didn't realise that sooner. Maybe I'm not as a good trainer as I think I am..." She lowered her eyes and Rory immediately jumped to her side and grabbed her face.

"Ri… lu.. Riolu!" Immediately Ari felt a wave of warmth come through her, and she understood Rory was trying to comfort her, feeling her sadness. She hugged her friend and they stayed like that for a few moments until a knock on the common room door startled them.

"Excuse me... Mind if I come in?"

They both gave a small jump and looked towards the voice. A young boy was standing there, wearing blue jeans, black tshirt, blue coat with white short sleeves and a red and white cap with a green thunder on the front. The boy had a Pikachu on his shoulder that looked very friendly.

"Y-yes of course!" Ari got up to shake the boy's hand. "I'm sorry I got startled, my name is Ari, I'm from Kiloude City!"

The boy laughed and took her hand with a smile.

"No problem, it could happen to anyone! I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town. This is my pal Pikachu!"

At the mention of its name, Pikachu jumped down with a happy face and went straight to Rory. Ari felt Rory tense up a bit, but the Pikachu showed to be cautious and also took its paw up towards Rory, letting her be the one to take the first step. This seemed to comfort Rory as she gladly took Pikachu's paw and smiled.

"Well, best friends already I guess haha!" Ash scratched the back of his hand. "It seems like we'll be crashing here all together. Where are you headed?"

"I have to meet with Wulfric the gym leader tomorrow; he has some information to give me." Ari hesitated before knowing if it was a good idea to share too much with the boy she just met. He seemed kind enough but Professor Sycamore made her understand that the less people knew, the less danger they'd be in. So she had to be careful.

"NO WAAY!" the boy's scream made Pikachu and Rory jump back and Ari widened her eyes. "I have to go there too to battle him! Me and Pikachu are going to earn our Iceberg Badge!"

"Oh, that sounds amazing! How many badges do you have already?"

"Until now, 4. They were all pretty easy to get so I thought I'd come here for a bigger challenge". Ash grabbed the sides of his coat as he gloated, Pikachu let out a sigh as if that seemed to be a pretty common thing for him to act about.

"Well... I heard Wulfric is pretty tough, you mind if I watch you battle him? I just got my Pokémon a day ago and we haven't actually seen a live battle."

"Really??? You want to have one with me tomorrow morning before we head to the gym?? I'll go easy on you I promise, but you HAVE to know what a Pokémon battle is like! It's the best feeling in the world!" Ash's eyes started to sparkle, and Ari couldn't help but feel the same excitement.

Was she really ready to already have a Pokémon battle? She looked at Rory looking for her approval.

"What do you think Rory? Should we give it a try?"

Rory jumped to her lap and started jumping and clapping her fists.

"Riiiiii RIOLUUUU"

"Ahaha I guess that's a yes! Ok Ash, tomorrow morning you'll teach me all about Pokémon battling. Thank you for that opportunity!"

"No problem!" Ash gave her thumbs up. "But I need to have a good meal now and sleep, I'm so tired…"

"Nurse Joy said the buffet was open until late, we can head there now!"

The two friends and their two pokémons went to the buffet and had a hearty meal before going to sleep.

During the night, Ari couldn't stop thinking about how the battle would go against Ash. She had to get the most experience she could. Maybe if it went well she could also challenge Wulfric? Rory fell asleep much faster and Ari could faintly see a blue-ish aura around her, giving her calm and peaceness. She had to rest, tomorrow was a big day for both of them.


	4. Chapter 3 - The Battle

**Review Response :**

 **TyrantTympole:** **Thanks for your review and advice ! I was looking for a better word to describe Riolu, can't believe I forgot about bipedal ahaha thanks! And I'll look forward to spot the character in your story that is like Ari ;) For Lucario I know about the aura and telepathy, but it's going to be more challenging for Ari to connect with Rory than she thinks. As for Ash, I said I wouldn't really follow the cannon and yes he is a bit over his head to fight Wulfric as you will see later on haha!**

 **Chapter 3 – The battle**

The next morning Ari woke up quite early. She looked over to the couch across the common room and Ash was still sleeping peacefully with Pikachu on its chest, enjoying the going up and down of Ash's breathing.

To her left, Rory was half snoring half probably dreaming she was eating some of the delicious pokébeans they had yesterday for dinner, she kept licking around her mouth and make yummy sounds.

Ari did feel nervous. How was she going to handle a battle against a much experienced trainer like Ash? He already had 4 badges… And she only had Rory and they had never fought together in a battle before. She tried telling herself that no matter the outcome she had to take every mistake as a learning experience. Every defeat would be a way of growing up and becoming better.

She got up quietly and went over to the window to see the sunrise. After she went to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, she changed into something warmer by simply piling up on all of her tshirts one on top of the other, two pairs of socks on each foot and trying to close her coat without it exploding.

When she got out she saw Ash was already up and stretching.

"Good morning! Wow you wake up early! Excited about our battle? We're gonna have a lot of fun!"

Ari smiled at Ash's morning enthusiasm, he was quite chipper.

"I do need to eat some breakfast before; nobody battles well with an empty stomach!"

They all went down to the buffet that was now filled with pastries and croissants and all types of bread and buns, butter, jams of all kinds… A paradise for hungry people. Ari wondered how the Pokémon center could afford to make such delicious buffets every day when their services are free!

They stuffed themselves full and then went to the battlefield that was behind the Pokémon center. A couple of kids were playing around with their Pokémon there, but no one else was around.

"So… Will you battle me with Pikachu?" Ari asked looking at the yellow mouse, knowing he was probably way more powerful than she could ever imagine.

"AHAHAHA, I don't think that would be very fair to you!" Ash grabbed his stomach as he laughed hard, and pikachu scratched the back of its head shyly. "I have someone else I've been meaning to practice with. Take a look!"

He threw up a pokéball that was on his side belt and as it opened a flash of light came out and at their feet appeared a small light blue frog-like creature.

"Froakie!" The Pokémon jumped around, glad to be out of its pokéball and went to Ash and Pikachu.

Ari took out her pokédex and checked what it said.

 _Froakie, Bubble Frog Pokémon. It protects its skin by covering its body in delicate bubbles. The bubbles reduce the damage it would otherwise take when attacked. Beneath its happy-go-lucky air, it keeps a watchful eye on its surroundings._

"He is so cute!" Ari went forward and petted Froakie, who seemed to enjoy it. Rory on the other hand, was hiding behind Ari's legs. "Don't be shy Rory, say hi to Froakie! He's going to help us in our first battle!"

Rory came from behind Ari's legs, and faced Froakie directly. Froakie jumped around Rory happily, and then suddenly…

 ***PAF***

All of them looked in shock as Rory punched Froakie right on the face… which sent him flying quite far on the field.

"RORY! I didn't tell you to attack right now! Where are your manners?"

Rory stared at Ari with a serious look, Ari tried to understand what was happening while Ash was running towards Froakie to see if he was all right.

"MAAAAAN THAT WAS SOOO SAVAGE!" He screamed, as Froakie stood up and shook its head side to side to regain consciousness. "It's bad that it attacked without your command but that was an awesome punch! My froakie doesn't fly off that easily hahahahaha"

Froakie locked eyes with Rory and it made a gesture to pounce, showing it was ready to start for real.

"Ok, you had the first move; let's go froakie hit it with water pulse!" Ash commanded, Ari guessed there was no turning back now and tried to do her best.

Froakie jumped up in the air and with a twirl he sent a small wave of water at full speed towards Rory, Ari cried out for her to dodge it which she did easily at the last minute.

"Rory, quick attack!"

Right after dodging, Rory went soaring towards froakie who was still in the air and hit him right on the side, and they both landed on their feet.

"Amazing speed! Are you sure you never battled before?"

Ari laughed at the comment but she was feeling nervous, she could feel she wasn't controlling Rory at 100% and that was something they both had to work on. Froakie was following Ash's directions perfectly, but then again he was much more experienced than her.

Once again, without her saying anything, Rory jumped out at froakie with another quick attack. Froakie jumped over Rory and sent out some frubbles that got stuck on Rory's head, preventing her from seeing for a while.

"Nice move on the frubbles froakie haha! You guessed what I was going to say! Now that it can't see, hit her with quick attack!" Ash was roaring with exciting, you could see he loved this.

Froakie charged towards Rory, surrounded by white light, and Rory who was struggling to remove the frubbles from her face, stopped and a very faint red light starting surrounding her. Froakie hit her and for a few seconds they both stood immobile before Rory shouted and while opening her arms wide froakie was sent flying and landed pretty badly on its back.

"What… was that?" Ari was shocked.

"That was Counter! When a pokémon uses Counter, if it's hit by a physical attack it will double the attack's power in return. Since my froakie was going so fast for that quick attack, it came back at him with twice the power! Very smart move! Again, too bad she did it by herself without waiting for you…" Ash was starting to look worried, Ari didn't know what to do at this point.

At the same time she realized that even if Counter could have hurt froakie, Rory did receive damage from it as well, and she could see that Rory was making efforts to stand up. The frubbles had been removed, but she was slumping a bit.

"Rory, you have to listen to me! I know I'm not experienced but wait for my directions before attacking!"

"Rio…." Rory just stared at Ari, and she could feel a distressed wave coming from her. Somehow, she heard a voice in her head that was very faint and it said: " _Win… Always_ "

"Was that… you Rory?"

Ari couldn't believe it. Did Rory just speak to her telepathically? And what did that mean… win always? Was Rory doing things on her own because she wanted to win no matter what?...

Froakie was up again, and looked displeased. He looked at Ash and was showing some struggle to keep himself up, so Ash grabbed a white handkerchief from his pocket and threw it to the ground.

"I'm calling it off. As much fun as we're having, you're not controlling Rory and that's not the objective. We can work out more later today, after we go see Wulfric. But good job Rory, you're very strong!"

Ari sighed in relief and realized she had been hurting herself with her own nails on the palms of her hands from making such closed fists. She couldn't stop thinking about hearing Rory's voice in her head.

They both picked up their Pokémon and went back to the Pokémon center to get them healed before heading to Wulfric's gym.

 **A/N: Sorry for the delay in the story! I'll try to update as soon as I can Let me know if you like it!**


End file.
